Sruti articles

I honestly cannot recall when and how I met Anandhi Ramachandran. I was a regular at Kalakshetra programmes and on happy terms with singer-nattuvanars Kamalarani, Bhagavatula Seetharama Sarma and the man I described as second to Nandi as far as dance was concerned, Karaikudi R. Krishnamurthy.

The world of Hindustani music venerated her as Maa Annapurna Devi. She was a sadhika who abhorred the arclights of the concert stage, shunned publicity and refused to face the public eye even when invited to accept prestigious awards.

Ramnad Krishnan’s name brings to mind his electrifying delineations of ragas like Sahana and Begada, Keeravani and Sankarabharanam. Through his son R.K. Ramanathan’s initiative, a yearlong celebration of the legend’s music was organised at Raga Sudha Hall in Chennai, with two programmes held every month, starting in September 2017 and concluding in September 2018.

7th November 2018

https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ramnad-Krishnan.jpg383575shankar9262https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/logo.pngshankar92622018-11-07 07:17:542018-11-07 07:18:27RAMNAD KRISHNAN: A CONFLUENCE OF THREE STREAMS

Each religion has its system of music based primarily on its cultural origin. Church music indicates the Western origin of its original propagators and mosque music indicates its Arabian origin. But does music itself as an art have any religion?

7th November 2018

https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/placeholder-sruti.jpg600900shankar9262https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/logo.pngshankar92622018-11-07 07:16:052018-11-07 07:16:05DOES MUSIC HAVE A RELIGION?

A lovely floral display spelt the name of the magazine which was soon to be launched that morning on Vijayadasami - an auspicious day. It was a double celebration to mark the release of the inaugural issue of SRUTI and the golden jubilee of Sangita Kalanidhi D.K. Pattammal’s concert career.

Ramesh Vinayakam, the talented film music composer, conceptualised and curated Class of Class - a full Carnatic music concert featuring many of his own compositions rendered by leading Carnatic musicians, at a well got up event recently in Chennai.

Mannargudi A. Easwaran is a reputed and popular mridanga vidwan, who through his exemplary ability to enhance, embellish and admirably blend with any style of music, has carved a niche for himself in the field of Carnatic music.

From the 17th century, Indian mythology and ideals have exerted an indefinable influence on Western thought and artistic practice. The use of certain types of note intervals, experiments in transilience (equivalent of the gamaka), as well as atonal/functional harmonies have found their place periodically in themes that were generally classified as mystical or exotic.

7th September 2018

https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Indian-music-and-the-West.jpg600900shankar9262https://dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/logo.pngshankar92622018-09-07 05:10:032018-09-07 05:10:40Indian music and the West: An exploration

The birth centenary of Gana Saraswati D.K. Pattammal - one of the female trinity of Carnatic music—is being celebrated on a grand scale. In order to spearhead the year-long celebrations DKP 100 (A unit of D.K. Pattammal Charitable Trust) has been constituted with around 50 members comprising the family, disciples and fans of the legend with the guidance of patrons like N. Murali, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, N. Gopalaswamy, R. Seshasayee, and Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti.

Vandeham Varadadasam, a celebration of the music of Carnatic music legend M.D. Ramanathan (MDR), was organised recently by his son Balaji Ramanathan at Raga Sudha hall in Chennai. It was an enjoyable evening listening to the introductory speech of Sangita Kalanidhi T.V. Gopalakrishnan who recounted his association with MDR—providing insights into the late musician’s personality.

For innumerable Western music fans in India their idea of nirvana or total bliss is to close their eyes and listen to the velvety voice of Jim Reeves. His 54th death anniversary falls on 31 July and his 95th birth anniversary on 20 August, and as such it is a good time to remember the singer whose voice and words have touched millions of lives around the world.